Meatless Friday: Hearty Fall Vegetable and Barley Soup

Sarah Pedrozo shares a simple but filling vegetable soup that is perfect for chilly Friday nights. Download our printable recipe card!

When the weather turns cool, hot foods are naturally comforting. I like to make a big pot of something warm and filling, like chili or soup, that sits simmering on the stove with the soup bowls next to a loaf of crusty, thick bread and butter and some shredded cheese. Since the people in my house are all teenagers and up, we don’t have a set dinner time anymore, so we serve ourselves when we get home. This particular soup is a hit in my house, and if there’s any leftover it makes a great warm lunch the next day. 

Hearty Fall Vegetable and Barley Soup

Ingredients 

½ cup quick-cooking pearled barley 
1 acorn squash, cubed with the seeds and strings removed* 
3 red potatoes, cubed 
1 12- oz bag frozen mixed vegetables 
1 onion, diced 
1 tbs minced garlic 
1 envelope onion soup mix 
32 oz. vegetable broth 
2 cups of water 
1 10.5-oz can cream of mushroom soup
3 tbs olive or canola oil 
Optional: 1 10.5-oz can of cannellini beans 
Optional: your favorite shredded cheese 

 *I wash but don’t peel the squash or potatoes before cubing them. We like to eat the cooked skin, but this is up to you and your family’s preference. 

Directions 

Put the bag of frozen veggies out to thaw. (It should defrost enough to go straight into the soup at the end, but you can also microwave it for a couple of minutes if necessary.)  

Put the cubed acorn squash in a pot with the broth, water, onion soup mix envelope and the garlic. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer until the squash is tender, about 20-25 minutes.  Add the quick-cooking barley to the pot in the last 15 minutes.  

While the squash cooks, put the 3 tbs oil into a fry pan and sauté the onions and cubed potatoes until cooked, about 7 – 10 minutes. Set aside.  

Once the squash and barley are cooked (the squash is easily pierced by a fork and the barley is plump), turn the heat to low. Stir in the sautéed onions and potatoes, the bag of mixed vegetables and the can of cream of mushroom soup. For an extra hearty soup, add the can of cannellini beans.    

Serve with crusty bread and butter and shredded cheese.  

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Copyright 2024 Sarah Pedrozo
Images: copyright 2024 Sarah Pedrozo, all rights reserved.